Thursday, 28 November 2013

State of Decay was a big hit when it was released earlier this year, selling over a million copies in less than half a year. No mean feat for an XBLA game that has only just seen release on PC. And now, with State of Decay: Breakdown, Undead Labs have given us their first major expansion, with the content that a lot of people have been asking for. Does this DLC make the game worth revisiting or should you forget about Trumbull Valley for the time being? Watch the trailer and read the review below to find out the full verdict (and make sure to check out our original State of Decay review here).

Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Rube Works is an awesome iOS puzzle game, based on the classic Rube Goldberg cartoons (if you haven't already, check out our review here). I got the chance to interview game designer, David Fox, about how he got into the imdustry, making the first licensed Rube Goldberg game, and what the future has in store for Rube Works! Check out the trailer below, and read the interview after the break!

Thursday, 21 November 2013

The Call of Duty series hasn't changed much in the last 6 years. Modern Warfare took the series in a whole new direction, ditching the World War setting in favour of a more up to date, relevant story. And boy, was it awesome. But since then, each new entry has been less interesting, whilst somehow managing to repeatedly break records. The stories are interchangeable, the set-pieces tiresome and the characters more and more forgettable each time. The two development teams have become lazy, which is understandable when you look at the profits, but it's also a disservice to the fans. Now, Ghosts is here, hoping to shake things up a bit. It is the first Call of Duty to be released on the next-gen (as well as current-gen) consoles, so you would expect Infinity Ward to step up, and once again deliver a game full of genuine emotion, excitement and general awesomeness. Did they succeed? Read on to find out...

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Rube Goldberg is a famous cartoonist and inventor, known for creating insanely complicated methods for completing very simple tasks, using household items. This formula lends itself very well to the mobile platform, which is probably the hottest marketplace for puzzle games. Rube Works, released last week for iOS devices, allows you to set up some of Rube's classic mechanisms, using the touch screen to place items and animals in the correct order to cause a chain reaction of events. Do this correctly and you will have solved the puzzle! Do the classic cartoons translate well into a puzzle game, or will this be a forgettable blip on the Rube Goldberg legacy? Read the full review to find out!

Goldberg's contraptions are designed to make life easier in the craziest way

The first puzzle you have to solve, which is also a tutorial level, is a combination alarm clock and orange juice squeezer. You are walked through this level, allowing you to fully get to grips with the controls and the general idea of the game. You have to think outside the box for Rube Works, as the solutions are often very bizarre. After the tutorial puzzle, you are left to your own devices. Each item, whether pre-placed or in your inventory, has a brief description and up to three hints. These don't tell you exactly how to solve the level, but they give you an idea of what other object will interact with the one you're looking at. Often they can give away a little too much information, making the level way too easy, but you don't have to use them. It's probably a good job that they are included, as without the hints it's quite a challenging game. The best way to solve puzzles is to use lateral thinking, and a lot of testing. Through testing, you get to see which parts work, which need a bit more thought and it gives you a good idea as to how the objects are supposed to interact with each other.

There are now 18 levels to complete, and if you don't use any hints, you can be stuck trying to make a contraption work for quite a while. Each level is just as weird as the last; one requires a complex underground system which includes a dog, electric blanket, some eggs and a firework, among others. What do you use this weird collection of items to do? Well, there are two guys playing Bridge, and when the first player wants the second to play a certain card, this ridiculous chain of events ultimately sends a hammer down on the second player's foot. When you first see a level and your inventory, it seems like there couldn't possibly be a way to complete it, but there always is. In fact, there are often numerous ways to complete it. It's a fantastic game for a creative mind.

Can't be bothered to tie a string? Goldberg has you covered!

The first licensed Rube Goldberg game is a success. Fans of Rube himself will lap it up, and it's great for puzzle fans in general. Everyone likes a Rube Goldberg machine, how could you not? Whilst they're ridiculous and silly, they're also very clever and immensely satisfying, so being able to put them together for yourself is awesome. If you're into cause-and-effect puzzle games and lateral thinking Rube Works is for you, and at £1.99, it's a steal.

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Girl Fight is the latest release from developer Kung Fu Factory, who are certainly experienced in making fighting games, after previous work on the Wii version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, and 2011’s Supremacy MMA. Do they now know enough to create a smash hit for XBLA and PSN?

Monday, 4 November 2013

Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar's most ambitious and anticipated title yet, is here. From the various trailers and gameplay videos, we've seen many new mechanics and features, and there's no reason that this game should disappoint. It not only has the biggest world that Rockstar have created, but three playable characters, upgradeable skills, massive customisation options, a bucketload of optional activities and much more. Let's hope that Michael, Franklin and Trevor can deliver on the promises that Rockstar have made.